Zoom Bianchi (left) aiming high with strong support

A new hope to end France's relative dry spell on the Formula One grid hit the headlines with victory at the prestigious Masters F3 race at Zolder last weekend.

While the Grand Prix world takes in a three-week vacation, 18-year-old Jules Bianchi was recording an important victory - ahead of his much-vaunted team-mate Nico Hulkenberg - in only his second season out of karts.

He is the grandson of Mauro Bianchi, a GT world champion, and the nephew of Lucien, Le Mans winner and competitor in 19 Grand Prix in the 60s.

Swiss publication Motorsport Aktuell reports that he not only drives for Nicolas Todt's ART team, he is also managed by the Frenchman.

Todt, the son of the former Ferrari team boss Jean Todt, already handles the F1 careers of Felipe Massa and also Sebastien Bourdais, who is currently the only Frenchman on the grid.

Also knocking on the F1 door to represent France is Romain Grosjean, the Renault test driver who is an outside candidate to debut for Toro Rosso in 2009.

Bianchi plans to also contest the 2009 season in the F3 Euroseries.

"This year is for learning and next year I want the title," he said.

Source: GMM
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